Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Thirteen: Fresh Start

His body was close to mine, arms on either side of me, clutching the bookshelf, the water hitting the shores roughly at the cave, my back against the overflowing bookshelf. He was taller than me, his curly brown hair hanging in his eyes as he caged me in between his arms. My gaze was moving from his dark eyes to his lips, my body shivering with anticipation.

"You have to understand," he spoke thickly. "I couldn't risk anything happening to her. Not when you and I are so close that I can taste it."

My eyes flicked away from him to the skeletal relic on the ancient desk. It glowed faintly, taken from its place of origin, the light inside had weakened. I flicked my gaze back, intending to look into his eyes but instead found his lips close to mine.

I gulped.

"I understand, Sebastian," I whispered. And it was true. I did understand, better than anyone. "I used it too."

He lifted one corner of his mouth up at this, his smirk making him even more intoxicating. He dropped his head, lips just below my ear, brushing my neck. I shuddered at the contact.  "I wish I'd seen you cast it. To see you that powerful would have been... alluring, to say the least."

"But I cast it on Ominis," I choked out, waiting for that fact to develop in his mind. Surely once it had, he'd realize he was praising monstrous behavior. Yes, I'd gotten permission. But that didn't change the fact that I had thoroughly enjoyed using the dark spell.

"A necessity- not anything to worry about," he said, no hesitation to his voice.

"You would have still... liked to see that?"

"Abbi, there's nothing you could do I wouldn't want to see."

His lips were on my neck now, fire spreading through my body and I closed my eyes at the sensation of his lips leaving their gentle and hesitant marks on my exposed neck.

He was testing. Or teasing. I wasn't sure exactly which, but to have his lips grazing gently along different places on my neck was exhilarating. They danced along so delicately, like he was ready to move at a moments notice if I in any way showed I didn't want this. My breath caught as he kissed gingerly down to my collar bone.

"Oh," was all I managed. He pulled away from me at this and looked into my eyes again, resting his forehead on mine. He left me longing for more.

"I'm glad you understand me, Abbi," he whispered. "No one else could ever understand me the way that you do."

Now I couldn't help myself. There was inches between us, begging to be closed. His scent surrounded us, swirling around my senses and I longed to feel every inch of him. My lips parted lightly before I closed those final inches, crashing into him.

He responded immediately, wrapping one of his arms around my waist, the other grabbing at the back of my head, trapping me against him as our lips moved in sync. There was no hesitation, no need for nerves. We were matches set ablaze, finally burning together. He was right, I did understand him. And he understood me.

He wasn't scared by what I had done to Ominis. He wasn't even mad. He was attracted by what I had done. He wasn't afraid of power, and the idea that he alone could understand all of my thoughts, fears and desires lit a fire in me. I kissed him hungrily,  pulling him impossibly closer to me via the loose tie around his neck, one hand gripped tightly in his hair.

When we broke apart, chests heaving for air, and I smiled at him. How long had I waited for this? Months. The answer was ever since the first trip to Hogsmead if I was honest with myself.